Extension-ladder.



W..A. SIVIITHI EXTENSION LADDER.

APPLICATION 'FILED OCT. 3.1915- Patented. Nov. 27, 191?.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

W. A. SIVIITH.

EXTENSION LADDER.

APPLlcATloN FILED'ocT. 3. 191e.

l ,248, 1 @9. Patented Nov. 27, 1917.

"U16 z f ivrrn sans rannte WILEY ANGEL SMITH, OF MERIDIAN, -MISSISSIPPL EXTENSION-LADDER.

.Application filed October 3, 1916.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, VILEY A. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Meridian, in the county of Lauderdale and State of Mississippi, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Extension- Ladders; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to malte and use the same. v v

This invention relates to improvements in extension ladders, and one of the objects is to provide a device of this character which can be quickly and easily folded into a compact article for shipping or storage purpose.

An additional object is to provide a ladder which is so supported that its angle of inclination can be readily varied.

Still another object is to provide a novel `arrangement for holding the extensible portion of the ladder in elevated positions.

A stillfurther object is to provide a very simply constructed ladder which canbe inexpensively manufactured and one which lwill be very efficient infoperation. y With the above and other objects in view,

the` invention resides in the novel features ,of construction, Vcombination and arrangement of parts, which will be hereinafter Fig. 2V is a similar view showing the parts folded into moperative position;

Figs. S and 4 are enlarged detail perspective views showing the locking means which is used for holding thel ladder portion stationary relative to its supporting means;

Fig. 5 is a similar view showing more particularly the means for holding the extensible portion of the ladder in elevated position; Y l i y Fig. 6 is a vertical.transversesection also showing the parts illustrated in Fig. 5"; and Fig. 7 is a detail perspective view of the retaining latch removed.

This improved ladder comprises a ladder portion 1 and a pair ofsupporting members 2 with which the first mentioned portion is pivotally connected.` As in devices of simi- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented llov,u 2?, fllt..

seri-a1 no. 123,559.

as shown at 5 to slidably receive the side A,

`bars 6 of an extension ladder, said side bars being `also connected by rungs Y. The eX- tension ladder G is normally retracted. and when in this position its ends coincide'with the ends of the main side bars 3.

A ny suitable means may be employed fo r raising the extension ladder and for holding the same in its elevated position. T have provided a very simple means fer accomplishing this purpose, which consists in attaching a pulley or the like 8 to one ef the upper rungs a and extending a cable 9 around the wheel of this pulley, the ends of said cable being suitably attached to the eX- tension ladder at any desired points, so that when the `cable is pulled, the ladder 6 will be elevated to any desired height.

y It is held in this raised position by means of a latch 10, the specific structure of which is clearly shown in `Fig. 7. This latch is formed from asingle piece of heavy wire bent into substantially 'Ll-shape, the interw mediate. portion thereofv being bent into a plane substantially at right angles to the plane of the arms 11. This intermediate portion which is numbered 10 in the drawings forms a trip member whereby the arms 11 may be raised as will hereinafter appear. The arms 11 adjacent their connection to the intermediate portion 10 are bent to form eyes 12 for the reception of one of the rungs 4, preferably that with which the pulley 8 is connected. This arrangement pivots the latch to the bars 3, and the springs 13 connected with the arms 11 to hold the lat-ter in a. substantially horizontal plane, the ends of said springs remote from their connection with the arms 11 being attached to the side bars 3. j

When the extension ladder is raised by a pull on the cable 9, the rungs 7 of said ladder force the arms 11 of the latch 10 upwardly out of their path of movement, but just as soon as each rung is raised out of engagement with the latter, the springs 13 force the latch back `into operative position so that when the cable 9 is released, the arms 11 will be engaged by one of the rungs 7 to hold the extension ladder in its raised position. Vhen it is desired to retract the extension, the same is raised slightly by the usual means and the cable 14 connected with the portion 10 is pulled downwardly to move the arms 11 out of the path of movement of the rungs 7, these arms being held in this position until the extension ladder has been lowered a sufficient extent.

The supporting members 2 of my im proved ladder each consist of a pair ofrlegs 15 pivotally connected together at one end so that when their other or lower ends are spaced apart, each member will bein the form of an inverted V. Each of the supporting members has its legs 15 held in extended position and braced by means of a foldable bar 1G. Each of the brace bars is formed of a pair of links 17 pivotally connected together at one end and at their other ends to the legs. From Fig. 2`it will be seen that when the device is folded the legs 15 and the links 17 will be substantially a-lined and thereby occupy only a very small space.

T he apices of the supporting members are connected together and to the side bars 3 by means of a transversely extending pivot rod 18. The side bars 3 have longitudinally extending slots 19 for the reception of the pivot rod 18 so that the ladder will have a rotatable and also a limiting sliding connection with its supporting members. The ,purpose of these slots 19 is to allow the parts of the device to be folded into. a more compact article. It may be here mentioned that it is necessary to dispose the lower end of 4the ladder above the ground when it is in `operation so that it may be disposed at different angles with the horizontal, but because of this construction, the legs 15 when folded, will extend below the bottoms of the side bars 3.. The side bars 3 are therefore slotted to allow the pivot rod 18 by which they are connected to the supporting members to move upwardly and thus permit the `ends of the legs 15 to be disposed in the same plane as the bottom of the ladder, as in Fig. 2.

In order to hold the ladder 1 against shifting on the rod 18 when the parts are :arranged in operative position, a pair of locks is provided, each of which consists of a pair of links 20 and 21. These links are pivotally connected together at one end and .the link 20 is .also pivoted to one side bar 3, `Whilethe other link 21 which is longitudinally .slottedV as at-22 adjacent one end is ,sli-dablyand pivotally connected tosaid side ,bar 3. This arrangement allows the links `Vto -be moved toward andv away from the rod 60 .18, vsaid links being connected to the side lbars on each. side of .said rod. A seat 23 is formed in each of thelinksQl .so that when fthe links are .moved Vinwardly toward the rod`1L8,and the samedisposed'in-said seats, 65 the ladder and its supporting members will others, because tion.

bars, whereby to dispose said ladder lat va v rions-angles to the horizontal.

be inoperative position. When the parts are in this position, the rod is at the bottom of the slots 19. The two positions of the lock are shown in Figs. 3 and 1.

Another feature of my invention which is operative when the parts of the device are in use, resides in the means for holding the ladder portion 1 at various angles to the horizontal. This consists oftwo pairs of arms 24, each pair `of *which isdisp'osed on 75 opposite sides of the ladder 1, "Eachpair of arms 2e is pivotally connected together at one end as shown at 25, and `each arm of each pair is slidably mounted upon one of the side bars 3. These arms are slotted as shown at 26 to receive studs 27 on thef bars 3 in order that they maybe slidably connected thereto. TvVhen the parts of the de vice are inoperative, the arms'Ql are arranged as shown in Fig, 2, but-when the de- 85 Vvice is operative, these arms are disposed in longitudinal alinement as shown inthe other figures. When inthe latter position, the hookedends 28 thereof are engaged with Y notches 29 `formed'in the links 17 Vof the 90 braces 16. By disposing the hooks invarious notches, the ladder mayV beheld securely at various angles of inclination. This construction is very advantageous inasmuch as it permits theladder to be held either verti-Y cal or at a considerable angle without danger of its falling over. It may be used very successfully jby fruit pickers, painters, Vand .of its improved construc- From the foregoing 'description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it is believed that 'further information ,y

in regard to the operation anduse of the device is unnecessary. The position of the parts as they will appearw'hen folded and when in VoperativeY positionf. areT clearly shown in'fFigs. 1 and 2.

1.`In a device Vofthe classdescribed, Va pair of inverted V-"shapedsupporting mem c bers, the legs of each being pivoted together foldable brace barsvconnecting the legs .of each of said members, Va ladder pivoted'intermediate itsV .ends between said members, laterally extensible larms carried by `said` ladder and means on the ends of said arms for locking engagement withsai'd brace y '2. In a device ofthe class described, a

y pair of inverted V-shaped supporting members,`the legs of each being pivoted together, foldable brace bars connecting "the legsof each of said members and having .notches therein, a .ladder pivoted intermediate its ends between said members, and laterally .extending pivotal'ly connected extensible arms carried by said `ladder and having hooks' on 4their opposite ends for locking 130 i,24e,ise

engagement with said notches whereby to angle said ladder.

3. In a device of the class described, apair of inverted V-shaped supporting members, the legs of each being pivoted together, oldable brace bars connecting the legs of each of said members, a ladder pivoted intermediate its ends between the same, and a pair of longitudinally slotted arms pivoted together and slidably connected to said ladder, said arms being movable into longitudinal alinement to dispose the ends there of into engagement with said brace bars.

t. In a device of the class described, a pair of supporting members, a pivot rod connecting the same, a ladder having a sliding movement on said pivot rod and limited thereby, and a lock on the laddei'ior engagement with said rod to hold the former against sliding movement.

5. In a device of the class described, a pair of supporting members, a pivot rod connecting the same, a ladder having a limited sliding movement on said pivot rod, and a pair of links pivoted together at their adjacent ends, the other end of one of said links being pivoted to the ladder,

the other end of the other link being slidably and pivotally connected to the ladder,

one of said links having a seat to receive said rod to hold the ladder against sliding movement.

6. In a device of the class described, a pair of supporting members, a pivot rod connecting the same, a ladder having a longitudinally extending slot in each of its side bars, said pivot rod being slidably and ro tatably disposed in said slots, and a pair of links pivoted together at their adjacent ends, the other end of one of said links being pivoted to the ladder, the other end of the other link being slotted and slidably and pivotally connected to the ladder, one of said links having a seat to receive said rod to hold the ladder against sliding movement.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILEY ANGEL SMITH.

Witnesses:

QI. A. TREADAWAY, W. IVI. Formes.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the ommissiloner or Patents Washington, D. c. 

